1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a urinary catheter assembly specifically adapted for male patients and including a tube adjustably mounted on a protective cup, both of which engage and at least partially surround the male organ and/or pubic area of the patient to facilitate collection and removal of fluid from the patient to a collection facility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with catheter assemblies conventionally termed "external catheters" which are specifically designed for use with a male patient. Such prior art devices would normally have some type of attachment or securement strap, harness, etc. used to attach the catheter to the body of the patient. In addition, a receiving tube normally fits in surrounding, concentric relation to the penis and the aforementioned supporting or attachment straps are used for the support and placement of the receiving tube in an operative position. Such is disclosed in the external male catheter structure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,550 to Martin. The receiving catheter tube has its distal end attached to a drainage conduit for removal of the urine to a collection facility or the like. The patent to Komis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,968, discloses an external male urinary catheter designed to be used in combination with a garment such as underwear or the like. The catheter assembly comprises a thin flexible, resilient receiving tube disposed in enclosing relation about the penis and having a reinforced end portion forming a contoured, open ended tubular member attached to a drainage tubing communicating with a collection facility.
Yet another structure is disclosed in Komis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,066, directed to an external male urinary catheter also associated with a garment, such as underwear wherein a moderately thin flexible, durable receiving sheath is dimensioned to be positioned about the penis. The sheath includes a distal tubular member having a central aperture providing an open end. The difference between the two aforementioned existing patents is in the structure of the receiving tube or catheter member surrounding the penis.
Rothenberg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,067, discloses a urinary collection system for male incontinent which primarily relates to a belt having a supporting strap attached to the catheter which fits about the penis substantially similar to a condom and which has a drainage tube attached to the distal end for communicating and directing of the collected fluid to a collection facility.
While each of the above-noted structures existing in the prior art and demonstrated in the above-noted patents are assumed to be operative for their intended function, none have the feature of the receiving catheter tube being adjustable relative to an attachment structure which secures the catheter tube to the patient. Such is important from a practical standpoint in that displacement or natural movement of the patient frequently results in an inadvertent twisting or closing of the catheter tube based on the fact that such tube frequently does not adequately fit the patient's body. Such adjustable features should be present in a preferred structure which enables somewhat lateral movement of the receiving catheter tube relative to the attachment means as well as providing both linear or longitudinal adjustment such that an open proximal end of the receiving catheter tube adequately may fit in sealing engagement about either the penis or generally the base of the penis adjacent the pubic area. In addition, none of the known prior art structures include any type of protective cup serving to better fit and facilitate natural movement of the patient relative to the receiving catheter tube when the catheter assembly is in the preferred operative position.